Overhead track for trolleys.



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ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES ALVIN J. GLOR AND WILLIAM P. WEST, OF VARYSBURG, NEV YORK ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND ROBERT M. GLOR, OF VARYSBURG NEW YORK.V

Patented July 12, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

OVERHEAD TRACK FOR TROLLEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,939, dated July 12, 1904.

Application led Alpll 7, 1904. Serial No. 201,662.l (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALVIN J. GLOB and WILLIAM P. WEST, both of Varysburg, in the county of Wyoming andState of New York, have invented a new and Improved Overhead Track for Trolleys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in overhead tracks for trolleys, and particularly to such tracks as are adapted to support various kinds of carriers. Y v

The object of our invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive, and strong track which can be easily suspended, which is adapted to safely carry a trolley and its load, and which has a simple and efcient switch mechanism by which the trolley and its load can be conveniently directed and which will operate also to stop the tracks at thefopen portions of the switch, so that the trolleys thereon will not accidentally run off.

To these ends our invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate -corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of the track, showing particularly the switch mechanism. Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation of a part of the track and a hanger therefor. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of `a hanger with the track sides or slats attached thereto. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the track, showing how the track is enabled to pass through a door. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the switch mechanism, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 Iin Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 we have for the sake of clearness omitted the stops for the several track-sections; but these are shown clearly in Fig. 5.

The track is made up of parallel strips or slats 10, which are spaced apart by the blocks 11, to which the slats or strips are securely fastened vby bolts 12 or equivalent fastening means. It will be noticed that the end portions of two of the strips 10 overlap the spacing-blocks 11, but do not extend full length of the blocks, so that in this way the strips of two sections of the track may be spaced at the abutting ends by the same block 11 and they can be supported, as described presently, by the same block. The'blocks are carried on hangers 13, which extend vertically through them and can be secured in any convenient way to some overhead support. 11 are provided near the ends and on opposite sides with projecting hook-shaped lugs, which receive the strips 10 and which afford a secure support and also take the strain off the bolts 12. For most purposes several of the tracks are used, and they converge to a switch-.15, or rather they diverge from the switch, so that a trolley can come down a single track and be guided by the switch-section .15 to any one ofv a series of tracks. The switch-rail 15 is made up like the parts already described land is hinged, as shown at 15, to a track-section. At its free end it is provided with a spacing-block 11 and has the side strip 10 projecting beyond the block, so that it can be dropped into the lugs 14 of any of the several track-sections, as shown in Fig. 1. The free end of the switch-rail is supported by the hanger 13, which is pivoted to one endof a lever 14, and the latter is arranged in a substantially horizontal manner and is fulcrumed, as shown at 16h, in a link 16,which has a sleeve 16it sliding Von the bracket 18, which bracket is arranged above and adjacent to the several track-sections andis fastened to an overhead support.

The free end of the lever 14 has a deper. ding handle 17, and the operator by pulling' down on the handle tilts the lever 14 and lifts the free end of the switch-rail from the supporting-lugs 14 of the particular track-section with which the switch-rail is connected, and then the operator by pushing or pulling' laterally can cause the link 16 to slide along the bracket 18 till the free end of the switch-rail is opposite and a little above the particular track-section with which he wishes to connect when the said free end is lowered and brought The blocks y into connection with the above-named tracksection. To provide for closing the open tracksections, the switch-rail is provided with a transverse rod or bracket 20, having' stops 21, which are adapted to come opposite the several track-sections, as shown clearly in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The stops 2l are adjustable on i the rod 20, so that they can always be made to register with the several track-sections. Thus when the switch-rad 1s connected with a certain track-section the stops will come opposite all the other sections, and any trolleys thereon will thus be prevented from accidentally running of.

Any suitable trolley can be run on the track, and in Fig. 3 we have shown in dotted lines a trolley which is suitable for the purpose.

-The track is also intended to run through doorways, and in order that it may not interfere with the sliding doors we provide a swinging section 23, which is pivoted, as shown at 24, so that when it is engaged by the door it may swing upward, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. To enable the door to open the swinging' section 23 automatically, we provide the door 25 with a cam 26, which when the door closes extends under the section 23 and automatically lifts it.

the side strips and to provide for holding' the ends of two pairs of side strips, and a detachable hanger extending vertically through the block.

2. The combination with la series ol tracksections having supporting hooks at their ends, of a switch-rail having' its free end adapted to rest in the hooks of the several track-sections, a bracket supported above the switch-rail and having a slide-bar extending at essentially right angles to the direction of the track-sections, a link held to slide on the bracket, and a handle-lever pivoted in the link and having one end constructed to carry the switch-rail.

3. The combination with the track and a sliding door, of the vertically-swinging section in the track, and means as the cam-face on the door to raise the said section.

4. The combination with the track-sections and the swinging switch-rail, of stops adjusted by the moving' of the switch-rail and `arranged to close theopen ends of the track-sections which are not engaged by the switch-rail.

The combination with the several tracksections, of the switch-rail arranged to move into engagement with each of the Asaid sections, and a series of stops carried by the switch-rail and adapted to close the track-sections which are not in engagement `with the switch-rail.

6. In an overhead track, the combination with the main track, of a vertically-swinging section, and means for swinging the Said section by the movement of a door against it.

ALVIN J. GLOB. WILLIAM P. WEST. Witnesses:

J. M. BRYsoN, ROBERT M. GLoRj 

